Today, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) announced $75 million in Federal funding for cost-shared research and development projects under Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0002515, Carbon Capture R&D for Natural Gas and Industrial Sources and Front-End Engineering Design Studies for Carbon Capture Systems at Industrial Facilities and Natural Gas Plants.

“Research, development, demonstration and deployment of decarbonization technologies in the industrial sector will drive the energy transition needed to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, while engaging communities and local populations and empowering them in the decision-making process,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Dr. Jennifer Wilcox. “And projects under this FOA will help move us closer to that goal.”

The DOE-FE Carbon Capture Program works to identify and advance technologies with the goal of decreasing the cost, improving the efficiency, and promoting strategic demonstration and deployment of carbon capture. This funding is focused on carbon capture and storage for power generation and industrial applications, with a goal of commercial deployment by 2030.

This FOA seeks to fund research and development projects that will focus on:

1. Testing transformational carbon capture materials: equipment, processes, or a combination thereof for applications in natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) power generation and industrial manufacturing, capable of achieving higher capture efficiencies (e.g., 95% or greater).
2. Performing front-end engineering design (FEED) studies for industrial manufacturing plants and NGCC power-generation plants integrated with advanced carbon capture systems that separate at least 95% of the total carbon dioxide emissions and generate carbon dioxide suitable for geologic storage, with at least two of these studies supporting projects at industrial facilities.

By developing innovative technologies to decarbonize natural gas and industrial facilities and by supporting their commercial deployment, this FOA will support the U.S. in achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and a net-zero carbon pollution economy by 2050.

Notably, this FOA, for the first time, will require applicants to submit a comprehensive summary of both environmental justice implications and jobs impacts. The jobs analysis focuses on the creation of jobs located in power plants and industrial communities that are economically distressed and/or have been disproportionately harmed by the adverse environmental impacts of these industries. Applicants will be asked to discuss not only the nature of the jobs, but also recruitment strategies for underrepresented groups and workers from the local community.

The environmental justice questions that applicants are asked to consider are wide-ranging, including  the technology’s potential for remediating legacy environmental impacts of the energy industry, the project’s waste management strategy, potential co-benefits for air pollutants, and community involvement plans.

Congressional support to advance decarbonization technologies in industrial sectors remains strong. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) said, “This funding opportunity will help promote the development and advancement of key carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies and move us towards our national goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. I applaud the DOE’s commitment to assessing how these projects will impact workers and underserved communities. This comprehensive approach is imperative as our nation paves its way towards a more sustainable, clean future.” 

“Carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies are key to creating a cleaner environment and tackling the climate crisis,” said Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17). “I applaud the Department of Energy’s investment in this innovative solution to reduce carbon emissions and create economic opportunity in our communities who have felt the impacts of a changing environment directly. In Congress, I’ll continue to advance legislation that supports job-creating investments like this.”

Selected projects will fall under three areas of interest (AOIs):

AOI-1: Carbon Capture R&D: Bench-Scale Testing of Highly Efficient Components and Processes for NGCC Plants.

AOI-2: Engineering-Scale Testing of Transformational Post-Combustion CO₂ Capture Technologies for Industrial Carbon Capture.

AOI-3: Front-End Engineering Design Studies for Carbon Capture Systems

More information on this FOA can be found here. FE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) will manage the selected projects.

The Office of Fossil Energy funds research and development projects to reduce the cost of advanced fossil energy technologies and further the sustainable use of the nation’s fossil resources. To learn more about the programs within the Office of Fossil Energy, visit the Office of Fossil Energy website or sign up for FE news announcements. More information about the National Energy Technology Laboratory is available on the NETL website.